Big season paying dividends in recruiting for Azusa Pacific University football

Fresh off of a 10-2 record in its second season at the Division II level, the Azusa Pacific University football program is starting to yield the fruits of success when it comes to recruiting.

The Cougars are expecting to haul in a banner class in a few weeks when National Signing Day arrives. And it could go a long way toward fueling the program’s meteoric rise.

“I hate to sound bragadocious, but what I love about the guys we signed last year and the ones in the conversation this year is that we’re recruiting against Big Sky schools and other FBS schools,” Cougars head coach Victor Santa Cruz said. “We’re in those homes. We’ve seen the caliber of players that are on our board, and it’s a whole different class now.”

Due to NCAA rules, Santa Cruz cannot give specific names of individual players he’s expecting to sign. But as the only Division II school from here to Utah, the coaching staff at APU is taking full advantage of recruiting the entire Southwest very heavily.

They’re also focusing on what’s right under their noses as it pertains to the San Gabriel Valley and its surrounding areas.

“There are a lot of kids in the 626 area code that are all-league performers who being recruited heavily and we’re in the conversation with,” Santa Cruz said. “And when it comes to the 951 and 909, it’s just great. We’re in the homes of some all-league players, and it’s just great stuff.

“We’re the best-kept secret, and that’s probably our fault. Now that we’re Division II, the high school coaches and players are more aware of us. We’re trying to build a fence around Southern California.”

Santa Cruz has divided a considerable portion of the state among his coaching staff for recruiting purposes. Each coach is assigned a region and concentrates on the best high school prospects in that area. The result has been a roster that not only features several former local stars, but also players from outside the general vicinity.

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Last year’s team also had players from as far away as Hawaii and Wisconsin. Santa Cruz has a trip to Hawaii planned next week and will focus on getting even more players from the island added to the roster.

Azusa Pacific left the NAIA prior to the 2012 season. The Cougars were in deep right away in their first Division II season, starting 0-7 before winning their last four games. The momentum carried into 2013, and a 10-2 record and Great Northwest Athletic Confernce championship has many thinking even bigger things are on the horizon.

Unfortunately, Azusa Pacific was not allowed to participate in the Division II playoffs for its first two seasons, but did finish No. 27 in the country in the final rankings, according Santa Cruz.

The Cougars have 36 scholarships. The program is sponsored by Nike and the entire team wears Nike gear and works out in a state-of-the-art weight room. Crowds at Citrus College, where APU plays, have also grown in size to an average of 3,500 per game.

Next year’s schedule was released this week and features six home games, including a Thursday night home game against Humboldt State on Oct. 9.

“You finally have Division II football back in one of the largest markets in the world,” Santa Cruz said. “I can only imagine that four or five years from now, everybody will be really aware of it and it should only get better.”